“Gretchen is growing tired of taking care of Slade and paying for everything in his life and she’s just about had it,” a source close to the blonde bombshell told RadarOnline.com.

“She is supporting him and helping to pay his legal bills and it’s getting to be too much for her. Gretchen is seriously considering ending the relationship because she’s sick of doing everything for Slade.”

However, Gretchen, who recently rocked a sparkling bikini on the red carpet, is trying not to let people know about her troubles with Slade and is fighting to keep a lid on her relationship woes until the very moment SHE is ready to pull the plug once and for all.

“Gretchen is publicly supporting Slade and continues to defend him and their crumbling relationship, but behind the scenes she’s admitting to friends that she’s not happy doing what she’s doing with him.

“And why would she be happy? Let’s look at the facts here — Gretchen is incredibly successful, she’s bright, she’s funny and she is a total knockout. What on Earth does Slade bring to the table, or the relationship for that matter?”